Puppy Essentials Advice

[garnernathaniel]

I'm looking at getting a female GSD puppy in the new few months and wanted to be prepared. I've spoken with the breeder already and they essentially said most important thing was a crate and spending time with the puppy. I'm finding it a bit tricky to find german shepherd specific information.

So far i've looked up

1. Crate training + buy a crate
2. Leashes of different lengths
3. Nylon collar
4. Vaccinations
5. Desexing (going to do after 2 years)
6. Socialisation
7. Toys (thinking just tug rope/ball/kong to start)

Anyone have any tips on training, equipment, videos, schedules, food or general GSD puppy tips?

 

[tirzah85]

@garnernathaniel 1) Buy XL!
2-4) Chat to your vet. Ours has said wait until our girl goes through at least 2 heat cycles. She's almost done with number 2 now. She's 15 months old You'll probably get conflicting advice on this one.
7) Lots of chewy toys.

 

[garnernathaniel]

@tirzah85 Any particular chew toys? Should it be the dried meat varieties or plastic toys?

At what age roughly did the heat cycles start? Did you notice any change in behavior during them?

 

[reddc44]

@garnernathaniel There is no such thing as indestructible toys when it comes to GSDs!!!!

You need to watch them closely to make sure that they are not hurting themselves.

Not plastic toys, they break and splinter, it's more like rubberized similar to car tires. They are chewy and take longer to destroy. Ball is life for GSDs, and NOTHING beats finding and then chewing up sticks. FYI, you may say its a tree branch but they say its a stick!

Meaty treats versus biscuits, my boys love meat and don't care for grains.

 

[alittlebird]

@reddc44 This is true! My GSD loves “gorilla bones” which are basically wood bones that kind of disintegrate instead of splintering so they don’t hurt their teeth chewing (which they can do if you give them any type of hard bone)

 

[faithfulfindings]

@garnernathaniel Point 1. Crate training also gives you a good opportunity to teach him to be house-trained during the night. simply place the crate next to your bed. This way you will hopefully wake up in time to take her out for business. It´s stressfull in the first weeks because your sleep will be cut short.

Point 2 Depending what you intend to do it might be good to buy leashes that have no loops or rings attached to it. Since your pup might step into one of these and hurt it´s toes.

For point 6. Visit some dog schools in your area before you get your puppy. Just watch how they train and what they do in a regular course with puppies.

I personaly looked out for one that does with a groups of dogs that are roughly the same size and age. Also that they don´t only do training but also give the dogs some free time to play and socialize. In my case a lesson was around 1 hour and the sessions included 2x 15min free play time. This way my pup got along great with many other breeds and also learned valuable lessons regarding how to play since not everyone likes to play as rough as a GSD does. It also is great if the place where the lessons are held offer some devices like tunnels, bridges for height training and different surfaces.

This also gives you plenty of time to compare how much some cost and what they offer.

This way I was able to socialize my pup very well and he gets along with everyone that doesn´t show aggression to him. And even then he just avoids those aggressive dogs in a manner that says "I don´t have time for this"

Depending how you plan to train your GSD and granted that you´re interested in it you can look for some local clubs that train GSD or similar dogs in search, obedience, protection or any other dog sport that you´re interested in.

I started first sessions with my pup already after all vaccinations where done to get him used to be around a training area and perform certain things on a regular basis.

 

[save_me_from_myself]

@garnernathaniel Socialize, socialize, socialize!

Our new rescue was not socialized by his first humans and it's an uphill battle to give him better habits.

Tractor supply store, Lowe's, PetSmart and Petco. Find the places that allow dogs near you and take the pup to them. Encourage the humans around you to say hello to her and have them give her treats. Take her to see other dogs as well.

Also, dogs can be afraid of types of people they haven't met before. Make sure she is meeting people of all races, ages, and abledness. Our big boy is afraid of wheel chairs, but not canes. Unfortunate, since our friend who only needed a cane when he was younger is getting closer to needing a wheelchair.

 

[alittlebird]

@save_me_from_myself Agree with all of this! Once your pup is old enough, try doggy daycare! It was so helpful for socializing my GSD and she LOVES going there

 

[mhcapa1]

@garnernathaniel The Monks of New Skete have written quite a few books on dog training that are German Shepherd specific. They breed and raise GSDs at their monastery in the Eastern US. I recommend their book: The Art of Raising a Puppy.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@garnernathaniel The schedule is to be tired and worn the f out for a while to be honest. Lol. You’ll be frustrated and you’ll be tired. There will be days when you may want to give up. That’s normal. It’s temporary. They pretty much need to go out every time they wake up, drink, eat, play, change activities. That may mean every thirty minutes while they’re tiny.

A big mistake I think a lot of people make is defining socialization. It doesn’t mean taking your puppy to a dog park to play and letting it get attacked by an untrained dog with an irresponsible owner. It means taking them to different places where they will see, smell and hear things that will help make them spook proof down the road. A dog you could truly take anywhere with you without issues. Stores. Restaurants. Escalators and elevators if you plan to travel with the dog. People of all ages, sizes and colors. People standing still. Kids running around screaming and playing. Different motorized vehicles and their sounds. Different surfaces and elevations to walk on. Do you live near an airport? Airplanes are a thing in the air that can cause distraction and fear if not exposed early. Suburban versus rural landscapes. I’m the car. On public transportation. You get the drift. Do it early and be consistent.

As for training, start immediately and make sure everyone is consistent. Do not wait. Create a routine and vow to stick to it. You’ll have regrets if you don’t. Mental stimulation is just as important to these dogs as running around and playing and exercising. You can do that through training and other brain challenges and games, plenty of which you can google to get creative with.

Read up on the genetic issues GSD are prone to and know what to look for. Especially with bloat, hips, elbows and eyes.

They’re pretty known for sensitive stomachs. Figure out what works and stick to it.